The court in Sichuan province in southwestern China convicted the lama, identified as Drongdru, for "intentional homicide" for hiding the injured monk and ensuring emergency treatment did not reach him, Xinhua said. [break]
The report contradicted earlier assertions by rights activists that monks at the monastery had rescued their wounded brother, Phuntsog, from police who began to beat him after extinguishing the flames.
Phuntsog set himself on fire on March 16, the third anniversary of anti-government rioting in Lhasa.
His death triggered protests and prompted a clampdown by authorities around the monastery in Sichuan province.
Xinhua said the dead monk was a disciple and nephew of Drongdru, who kept him hidden for 11 hours before he was taken to hospital where he later died.
During the trial, Drongdru, 46, pleaded guilty to the charges, voiced regret for his role and declined his right to appeal, it said, adding that two other monks linked to the case would go on trial on Tuesday.
Officials at the court refused to comment on the case when contacted by AFP.
Phuntsog was the second monk at Kirti to set himself on fire since the anti-Chinese riots in Lhasa of March 2008, the bloodiest in Tibet in 20 years.
Xinhua said he was just 16 years old at the time of his death, though reports at the time varied and rights groups put the monk´s age at 20 or 21.
Earlier this month, another monk died by self-immolation in Sichuan.
Campaigners said the 29-year-old at the Nyitso monastery drank petrol before setting himself alight. Police and soldiers surrounded the monastery after his death.
The London-based Free Tibet rights group, citing local contacts, said the monk was heard to shout "We Tibetan people want freedom", "Long live the Dalai Lama" and "Let the Dalai Lama return to Tibet" before setting himself on fire.
Many Tibetans in China are angry about what they view as increasing domination by China´s majority Han ethnic group, and accuse the government of trying to dilute their culture.
China, however, says that Tibetan living standards have improved markedly in recent decades, pointing to the billions of dollars it has spent on infrastructure and development projects.
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